If you love me
by writergirll7
Summary: Reika grew up on the island of Flevance in an adopted family. Her brother and she had plans of running away and starting a brand new life. But fate has a funny way of changing one's plans. Reika now has to be stronger than ever to hold onto a promise she made to Law many years ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Yay one piece :) This is a Law and OC story, but I wanted to give background to the characters for the first chapter story before I hop in and make a romance story. **

**Keep in mind I don't want to spoil everything and explain it all at once. It's like giving you a full cake and letting you eat all now, there will be nothing left to enjoy. So I'll give you the cake piece by piece. **

**It will change over time but Lelouch is important to the story and no, Law does not get with him. **

**Spoilers: Law's first name is Water. I'm not sure when he changed it, but I added it to the story because its his name :) **

"Jeez, you're so slow." A young boy with bright reddish brown hair laid lazily on top of the tree branch, swaying one leg back and forth as it hung off the side of the tree. His messy, dirt-stained clothes and unbrushed hair gave him the perfect appearance of the boy who never knew the meaning of a bath. And one person in particular knew well then enough that if it wasn't a lake, there was no bath and he wasn't bathing. That person was staring up at this boy from the bottom of the tree. Her green, slightly dirty dress blew gently in the wind and her equally red brown hair did just the same, but the little girl's face was anything but pretty as she glared up at the 10-year old boy.

"Lelouch, you know I can't climb." The little girl stomped her foot on the grass and clenched her fists. Her icy cold stare did not fit on a girl at the age of 7. It was even amusing that her long hair had been tied up with a cute butterfly clip. Her face just did not match this otherwise cute little girl.

Lelouch waved his hand down at her and closed his eyes as he leaned against the chipped bark. "Do you always have fits? Because it's not cute or lady-like." The little girl puffed her cheeks and kicked the tree, which she immediately regretted and cried out in pain. Lelouch started to laugh at the idea of the girl thinking she could take her anger out on a tree because of his teasing.

"Lelouch, why are you always so mean to me? Mama says that you have to play with me." The little girl's eyes started to water up and she leaned to one side to favor her hurt toes. She saw the way Lelouch eyes darkened at the mention of word Mama.

"They aren't our parents and she is not my mother," he said as he stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He glanced down at the girl before taking a step off the branch and landed on the ground easily. The little girl clapped and giggled. "You're so cool, Lelouch." He grinned and waved, acting as if he was embarrassed and that he wasn't angry a few seconds ago.

"Aww, don't flatter me...but keep going. I love to act as if I'm king." The little girl kept clapping and chanting, "Oh, mighty king, grant me your wishes."

Lelouch wasn't sure when they started walking or when the sun decided to set, but they ended up standing in front of a wooden log cabin. Really, for as small as it was, it was more of a shack. "Hey, Reika, I think I'm going to continue on my walk. Go inside eat dinner, bathe, brush you teeth, and go straight to bed," he said and wiggled his finger in her face.

She nodded her head slowly but then smiled happily. "Okay, big brother, but you'll be back to read me a story, right?" Lelouch looked away blushing, wishing his sister wasn't so damn cute. "Alright, alright, story, got it." He patted her head and ushered her into the log cabin. He made sure to hear the greeting voices saying they were happy she was home before he continued down the dirt path, heading straight into town as the light started to dim, the colorful sky darkening into night.

With each building he passed, less and less people seemed to be out and about, but Lelouch continued on his walk, not sure what he would find or where it would lead.

It was pretty common for him to go on wandering walks and get lost. It was a weird sense of adventure to him, but this time the walk wasn't as enjoyable. He wanted out of his adopted family and to take his little sister Reika away and keep her safe, but there were no jobs and they had no money, so he was stuck at square one.

Lelouch stopped and kicked a pebble lying between his worn down shoes. He need something...a path, a beginning. "Did you hear that they might have found gold lying in those mines…." Lelouch whipped his head around at the two men talking to one another outside the run down bar. He decided to get closer.

"Oh ya, they're hiring anybody to work down in those mines and paying a pretty good sum. I'm heading up there tomorrow to get me a job, and you never know, maybe I'll hit gold."

Lelouch couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gold, a job, good money. Was fate knocking on his door? This chance was too good to pass up. Tomorrow he was going to get a job in the mines.

He took off running towards home to tell Reika about it. He was so happy and pumped with energy that he mowed someone down to the ground. "Damn, you're like running straight into a wall."

Lelouch opened his eyes after rubbing the dirt out of them and stared at the creepy looking boy with the animal printed hat. "Um…." He turned to the side and noticed that a little girl was standing there staring shocked at the boy he ran into. "I'm sorry, I should slow down."

The other boy stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, careful not to knock down his hat. "It's okay, just..watch next time," he said to Lelouch and then grinned.

"Lelouch…" Lelouch said, and offered his hand. The other boy stared at the hand then at the girl before shaking hands. "Wat-Law." Lelouch blinked then rubbed his head. "What was that?"

**oooohhhh first chapter and Lelouch meeting Law. I'm pumped for the next chapter and I haven't even started writing it yet. **

**I would like to thank my oh so loving friend because he's been editing my terrible grammar :)**

**see you soon **


	2. Chapter 2

Law shifted slightly as he scratched under his hat. "Law. The name is Law." He grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her slightly towards him. It was then in the light of the town lamps that Lelouch noticed that the girl looked deathly ill. He wanted to say something, but for once in his life decided it was better not to speak before thinking. "Do you children always decide to go on late night walks?"

Lelouch crackled a laugh when Law gave him the funniest look. "You're a kid too," he flatly pointed out. Lelouch shook his head and patted Law on the shoulder. "No, no, you must be mistaken. I have to be older than you," he said calmly and confidently.

"How do you know? We just met." Law had to let go of his sister's hand to crossed his arms and stare at the dirty-haired boy. "I think you might have had some brain damage at some point." He smirked up at Lelouch who grabbed his heart dramatically and pouted.

"You're a cruel child, Law, picking on your elders." This response made Law twitch. "How old are you..?" Law asked calmly and coolly. This time, Lelouch twitched and turned his back to Law...and then jump-spun around and striking a pose he imagined they made for magazines. "I'm ten!" he yelled loudly to Law and the girl. A couple of people from the shop behind them giggled at them, calling them cute and whatnot.

"You're kidding, right?" Law glared at Lelouch and uncrossed his arms so he could point at Lelouch. "You can't be ten because I'm nine." He groaned and slapped his forehead at his defeat to Lelouch.

Truthfully, this kid was strange. All Law had planned for tonight was to take his sister on a small walk to escape the many doctors and hospital bed. Then he ran into this kid. He glanced to the left at the slowly emptying dirt street of the town. He turned his head back to Lelouch who was grinning at him creepily. "Are you always this strange?" Law was about to speak, but Lelouch waved his hand to shush him. "You look like a doctor."

Lelouch gestures to Law's clothes, which looked like a uniform or a small lab coat with a red tie. "It's a uniform...for school. I'm training to be a doctor under my father's supervision," he said proudly, and his sister Lami smiled softly.

"Wow, you sound kind of important." Lelouch scratched his cheek and was now looking the other way. He didn't like the idea of being arounf people of importance. The girl started to stumble and sway a bit and Law wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "Lami, we should get you back to the hospital." Law looked up at the kid, who was looking at Lami worriedly. Lelouch started to say, "she has amber le-"

"THAT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM," Law spoke over him and glared at him.

Law started to tug his sister down the path only to find Lelouch was following them. Law glared but said nothing. It seemed like it was going to be a long walk at that. "I'm sorry." Lelouch spoke quietly and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at them to avoid Law's gaze.

Lami placed a hand on Law's shoulder and smiled up at him. Law sighed and grumbled, "Don't worry about it." Lelouch cracked a weak grin and kept up with their pace. It was a quiet walk, but a comfortable one. "What are you doing tomorrow, Law?"

Law whipped his head around and stared at Lelouch, a little shocked at the question, bit he shrugged and tried to act like the cool kid he was. "Depends. I do go to school."

He glanced back at Lelouch to see if that comeback hurt, but all he saw was Lelouch's stupid, happy grin. "Grrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaat, come hang out with me when you're done." Law smiled slightly and nodded his head. "Sure, why not? ...Where do I meet you?" Lelouch laughed and flailed his arms a bit, looking at the white city of Flavence.

"I'll meet you in front of school, I guess, around 4. You should be done draining your brain by then."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, I'm back. :) I'm glad everyone's liking the story so far. We have a long journey to go.**

**How did everyone's Christmas and New Year's go? :) Mine went amazing and I love my new motor cycle helmet and my new dress. :D **

**So, funny thing: while I was typing this, I originally wrote that Lelouch got lost in the taste of the Devil Fruit itself…..buuuuuutttt then i realized…**

**Well….**

**You know….**

**Mmmm...I wonder what Lelouch is plotting.**

Lelouch bit into his apple hard, enjoying the crunch of the tasty sweets of the Satan fruit itself. He hummed in happiness and swayed from side to side, lost in his own world and his thoughts.

It was peaceful and relaxing until the cute, squeaking voice of his adoring sister broke him out of the his mind.

"W-what?" he stuttered and looked at the little girl. She puffed her cheeks, which made them turn rosy red just like his apple. "I said, 'What are we doing today?'"

The little girl named Reika was wearing an overall dress with a white shirt underneath. She seemed to be in her play clothes today which made Lelouch believe his sister knew what he had planned for today.

Lelouch turned back forward to watch where he was going. He wasn't sure how long Reika had been tagging along. She always sneaking around like that, almost like a mouse. _She needs to be stronger, like a tiger or a lion, not a little mouse, especially in this cruel world _Lelouch thought to himself_._ Lelouch reached out and grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her close. Reika moaned in protest, calling him dirty and perverted. He just wanted her close at this moment. He didn't want her to know that he was scared of the future and of his dream, and that fear made him want to turn and run with his tail between his legs. But he had to be strong. It wasn't only his future. He was also making a future for his little sister. The little mouse.

"This way."

He spoke quickly and took a sharp left and started down the busy streets. It was peaceful and quiet which made Lelouch happy. The dark thoughts he had moments ago started to fade and were replaced with ones that were peaceful and happy.

"You're plotting something, aren't you?" She glared at her brother and tugged him back . He just tugged her forward, easily over powering her.

"Wow, you really don't beat around the bush, you go straight to it." He decide to sling shot her forward but didn't let go of her hand and pulled her back quickly. "Hey!" she yelped.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that. I met this boy last night after I dropped you off. At first I was going to rob him and take whatever he had, but I found out he goes to the doctor school at the hospital." Reika nodded her head, listening to her brother, but then slightly frowned and moved to stand next to him like she caught a whiff of something bad cooking. Something was off.

"And?" she said.

Lelouch moved his eyes to glance at her without moving his head. "Nothing, that's it. I just thought it would be pretty amazing to have a follower and worshipper with me wherever I go." He gave her a toothy grin, but Reika hissed at him and Lelouch waved one hand at her. "Alright, alright, I wanted us to make some friends…It's always been just you and me."

_Liar _was the first thought that went through Reika's head. She knew he was lying. Lelouch was always good at lying. He had a such a smooth tongue. She wondered if he could make pirates shake in their boots just by talking to them. But what was he lying about? She wasn't sure, but she thought he must have something planned for this boy. If it involved Lelouch, then it was no good. She remembered all the physical fights he had gotten into when he decided pickpocketing was the job to go to for fast money.

"We're almost there." Lelouch tugged her and they turned right almost too quickly. Reika stumbled over her feet to catch her balance, causing her thoughts to stop short.

"Will you stop pulling on me?" she whined at him.

"Will you stop whining? We are here." He let go of her hands and held out his arms out to the huge building. "Ta-Da!"

It was quiet, so quiet that you could hear crickets. Lelouch turned his body to figure out why Reika went so quiet. The face he found was one that could kill just by looking at someone. It was because she was glaring daggers at him but not before punching him in the arm. "I don't whine." Lelouch glanced down at where she hit him. It didn't hurt at all. It was more like a light tap against his arm, but he would never tell her that. But something else stung instead, and it was his mind and heart.

He didn't like Reika using violence. Lelouch lightly grabbed her hands and clasped them together, with his hands covering hers. "Please don't ever raise you fists or do anything that would cause harm." Reika stared at her brother's auburn eyes as he stared back into hers. Her bottom lip started to tremble a bit. She had never seen him look so disappointed in her. "I'm sorry," Reika whispered quietly as her brother patted her head.

"You're just fine as a mouse," Lelouch mumbled to himself, quietly so that Reika didn't hear him. To change his thoughts again, Lelouch looked back at the building.

It was huge. Indeed, to him, it looked like castle. It really was more like a giant townhouse with wrought iron gates and fencing wall around the area. The building was completely white, but that was expected, living in Flevance. Pretty much Everything was white: the trees, the buildings, and even the ground. People assumed it was because of the amber lead found all over the mining area on the island. People started to think that this was the reason everything was turned white.

Lelouch gave a low whistle and nudged Reika. "Talk about first class doctor service. It's surprising that they have a school and even allowed kids into this school."

"Yo, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a kid?"

Lelouch and Reika looked through the gate and saw a kid with an animal print hat walking towards them. Lelouch waved lazily like he and Law were already best friends. Reika on the other hand seemed to take in his appearance a lot more then Lelouch did, which made her become a lot more shy, and she took a step towards her brother.

"Hello…10," Lelouch gestured to him self like he was the most important person in the world. Law just opened the gate and shut it. "Are you always this cocky?"

Lelouch stared at him blankly before saying, "Yes."

Law without a second thought shoved him to the side. Lelouch stumbled against Reika, who squeaked and shoved Lelouch back at Law.

Instead of hitting Law, Lelouch stopped short and glanced back at Reika. Law did the same thing, only now noticing the girl.

"You okay?" Reika was about ready to puff her cheeks in anger but released the air that she was holding. "Yes." She glanced at Law and held her hand out to him. "Reika Coil."

Law stared down at the hand, feeling a sense of of deja vu. " Um, Law. It's nice to meet you." Reika glanced away, blushing slightly. She wasn't used to talking to people much. Normally she stayed at home, helping her foster momma with chores while Lelouch ran around doing whatever. They decided it was easier just to give up him. He was too stubborn anyway.

Reika and Law were shoved apart by Lelouch, who rubbed under his nose while smirking. "So back to your king. "

Law shoved him once again and Reika giggled slightly but looked the other way when Lelouch glared at the two them. "So it's fun to laugh at me, huh?"

Law nodded his head while Reika shook her head. The two of them were a comedy act to Lelouch. It was a little funny to watch.

"So, what are we doing today?" Law glanced back through the fenced area noticing that most kids were heading home since school was over. He already told his father that he was going out with friends.

He guessed that's what he considered what he and Lelouch were now. It was odd to him, but Lelouch was a bright and happy person and very cocky. He was pretty sure Lelouch was involved with himself. What he didn't expect that Lelouch had a sister, let alone someone as nice as her.

"Let's go fishing and swimming," Reika spoke up between the two of them bickering. Lelouch rubbed his head looking everywhere but Reika.

"Is this an excuse to get me to take a bath?" Law crackled a laugh and nudge Lelouch's side. "I was thinking the same, and it's a great idea." Law grabbed hold of Lelouch before he could run away and started to drag him in the direction of the lake.

"On the count of three, let's throw him in." Currently Law was holding Lelouch's arms while Reika was holding Lelouch's legs with much difficulty.

"One."

"Wait, are you serious about this?!"

"Two."

"Hold on, lets talk about this!"

"Three."

"I'm serious, if you throw me, I swear I'm coming after you!"

SPLASH

Lelouch went under, leaving little splotches of mud rising to the top...although it might have been the dirt that was stuck to Lelouch. "Well, he is not bathing for at least another two months." Law looked at her disgusted but watched as Lelouch emerged from the water slowly. "Oh, it's payback now." He started run/swim out of the water and tried to grab either Law or Reika. They scattered about running from here to there.

"Slow down and let me catch you," he yelled. He tried to reach Law's hat, but Law slipped about of Lelouch's reach. "Wow, are you normally this slo-" Law slipped on mud and fell into the water. He sat up and groaned as he pulled his hat off.

Lelouch held his stomach, laughing at him. "Yeah, it's so funny." Law stood up and glanced at Reika, who was standing a little further than arms reach away. The one who was not wet.

"Hahaha, I hope a fish doesn't fall out of your ear." Lelouch burst into another fit of laughter. Law grabbed a hold of Lelouch's back before pushing him face first into the water.

Which ended up in a mud fight between to two.

Reika smiled and started setting up the fishing lines.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you guys done yet?" Reika stared down at the two muddy boys and shook her head at the two of them in a deep embrace in the muddy water. "I set up the fishing stuff, so we're good to go." She gestured over to the sticks with string sitting next to an old fire pit someone made some time ago. Lelouch pulled away from Law and practically skipped over to the fishing rods laying on the ground by the pit and the river.

Law on the other hand at least tried to make himself look decent and clean by wiping off what he could. "You, um…missed a spot," Reika said and pointed at his left cheek. Law wiped the right side instead. She just shook her head and giggled softly

as she took a step froward. "No, I got it." Reika licked her finger and started to rub the dry mud stain off his cheek.

Law was a little shocked at how straightforward she became. He could only stand straight and still while clenching and unclenching his fists. " Are you always this nice?" he stuttered and tried his best not to look into her red, yellow, and brown eyes.

_Were they always this color? They remind off fall. _Law clenched his fists even tighter now and watched as Reika started to wipe the mud off his shirt.

"That's a silly question." She smiled seemed lost in her own world as she continued to talk. "I try to make up for what Lelouch lacks, like being kind and nice to balance it out, and it makes Lelouch happy. He doesn't want me to grow up in such a violent world."

Law placed Reika hands down at her sides and gave her a lopsided smile. "Thanks. Wow, you're really something to put up with that."

"Truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way." She tugged Law's sleeve as Lelouch waved them over for fishing.

The evening was perfect. Even fishing turned out to be fun and goofy, since Law and Lelouch had a fishing contest. Both of them lost to Reika.

Lighting the fire was difficult but they seemed to figure it out, and they all ended up sitting around the flames watching their fishes cook. It was quiet for a while as all three of them watching fire twist and twirl, listening to just the occasional crack from burning wood. "I want to do this all the time," Lelouch finally said and looked at the two of them.

Reika nodded her head in agreement. Law shook his head, though, and it slightly shocked Lelouch. "We have to grow up at some point. Playing children's games like this won't get us a future." Lelouch groaned and slapped his forehead and leaned against the log he was using as a pillow. "Calm down, kid…we'll grow up…and accomplish our dreams."

"What are your dreams?" Law now seemed interested in what Lelouch was saying.

"I want to make enough money to buy a boat and travel the world with Reika. It's a silly dream, but I wish to accomplish it anyway." Lelouch glanced at Law through the fire. "What are your dreams, Mister 'I'm ready to grow up and start a career'?"

Law rolled his eyes at the lame comeback Lelouch came up with. "That's just it. My dream is to become a great doctor like my father. It'll be my career, my life."

It was noticeable how both boys spoke with such passion and energy about their dreams. Reika especially noticed it and felt a grin creep on her face.

"What's your dream?" Law spoke directly at Reika, who in shock dropped the stick she was poking into the fire.

Law raised an eye brow.

"I don't really have a dream. I just want you two to be happy forever." She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. Lelouch threw a pebble and hit her shoulder. "Lame."

Reika puffed her cheeks again and hissed at him. "Shut up! I like my dream."

Lelouch waved his hand at her and grabbed his stick with the fish on it. "Enough of this talk, I'm starving." He took a huge bite and immediately started coughing.

"Hot? Dumbass." Law spoke as he blew on his fish on a stick.

"It sure is getting late…" Reika spoke a while after they finished eating their fishes. She was looking up at the stars and the bright full moon. "I'm happy that we all became friends." She glanced at the two boys who both nodded in agreement even though they would never admit it.

Another hour went by as they talked on and on about their future, their goals, their dreams, likes, dislikes, hobbies, anything they could think of. That was when Lelouch stood up and stopped Reika and Law from their talk about polars bears.

"We should get back. We'll walk you back, Law," Lelouch offered and smirked when Law glared. "I don't need you to walk me back."

"It's okay, kid, we'll protect you."

In the end Lelouch, Law, and Reika ended up walking Law back to his house. Even though Lelouch and Law fought the entire time, it was still quiet enjoyable.

But it was after they dropped Law off and were halfway to their house when Lelouch felt sick to his stomach and dread washed over him, like something bad had happened, but he couldn't figure out what.

"We're home!" shouted Lelouch as they walked into the house. He kicked his shoes off and helped Reika take hers off. As they were walking to the family room, Lelouch noticed that no one was home.

"I wonder where they went. Did they say anything about not being home?" Reika tapped her chin and glanced at Lelouch, who kept staring at the kitchen. "Who knows, and who cares? Let's get you to bed."

Changing seemed fast for both of them, and Reika hopped in her bed and covered herself up. "Story?" she asked hopefully, but Lelouch shook his head. "Not tonight, I have to check on something." He leaned down and gave his little sister a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

He checked the house everywhere for signs of his fake parents, but none were there except for the flickering of a candle. It seemed like someone forgot to put out.

Another hour went by before he finally decided that there was nothing to fear and went to his room for bed.

Like normal, he changed into his PJ's and turned off the lights. Before he went to bed himself, Lelouch leaned under the bed and pulled out a wooden floor board. The floorboard covered a hole in the ground with a wooden box inside.

He pulled the box out and wiped the dust that built up from staying there. "Just like every night, check to be safe…My dreams are almost there, and we'll finally be free."

He opened the box to check his secret stash of money that he had been saving for a boat.

This time though instead of money laying in the box, all he saw was emptiness. That dread returned. He then he realized it was gone….

In a rampage, Lelouch through the box across the floor. He knew who took and he had thought he had been careful to hide it from them. "Damn those fake ass parents!"

He stormed through the halls of the small log cabin, so blinded by his anger that he couldn't even remember the layout and got lost. He was trying to find any trace of where they could have gone, but everything looked the same. Lelouch knocked over some chairs and threw dishes on the ground, shattering them, trying to vent out some of this anger floating around in his mind until everything inside him collapsed and he dropped to the floor.

"I was so close to getting that boat…." He felt his eyes water up as he clenched his hair in frustration. The world seemed to stop. Every dream he had and every adventure he wanted seemed to shatter. The room felt black and cold and was closing in on him until a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Lelouch, are you okay…?" He whipped his head to the left so fast, he swore he just gave himself a whip lash. Reika was standing there staring at Lelouch down on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and yawned like she had just woken up, which was probably true, since he put her asleep an hour ago. Before she would notice, Lelouch rubbed his eyes to wipe away any traces of tears. "I'm fine. You should go to sleep." Reika glanced around the room and realized it was a mess and was about to say more about the mess and Leouch's behavior. Lelouch yelled at her to get out so loudly that Reika's eyes started to well up with tears. "O-okay,' and she scampered down the hall until the blackness of the night swallowed her up.

Lelouch stared down at his hands before clenching them. "I was close, so close to getting that boat. All the dumb jobs and pickpocketing I have done over the years just to save up, and now…now its gone…." He growled and punched the floor as hard as he could. His knuckled cracked and turned bright red from the force. "I have no choice…."

_I didn't want to do this…I was starting to like him…._

"I'm going to have to rob Trafalagar Law…." Lelouch punched the floor again and glared at the wall like it was to blame for all of this mess. He knew from the beginning that those people shouldn't have been trusted, and he had slipped up. He was not sure when, but he did.

Now it had come down to this.

Tomorrow night he was going to rob Law.


	5. Chapter 5

**MMMMMMMMM I don't have much to say here**

He tried. He really did try to stay up and wait for these parents. Every time his eyes drooped just slightly, he would rub his eyes, or once in a while he would slap himself awake. _When did things go wrong? _he wondered. Was it pity that had made their parents adopt them? Maybe it was just so they felt like they had done something good with their lives. He never new their reason why they took two streets kids into their home and let them live with them, but the thought that it would make them feel better about their lives made him feel so ill that it almost made him vomit. Growing up in this house had cause him more grief than joy. No family was better than this family. They gave up on trying to reason or raise him anyway, but they turned their focus on Reika.

Truthfully, Reika was so young at the time. That they could have lied and told her that they were her real parents. But they didn't. Instead they were forcing Reika to become something other then who she was. That woman who pretended to be a mother was a whore at the upstairs bar just down the street, and their father was either laying asleep drunk on the floors of the house or off working at the docks. He cringed at the thought of them. They didn't act like parents but wanted to be treated like they were.

Reika was smart. Everyone that knew her knew that. She might act like little a kid, but she was smart for her age, but a hell of a lot more gullible to people. Those people wanted to make a future for Reika, push her into something she wasn't, hoping one day that she might land a good career and they would all be rich. It was almost a good idea except for the fact that every time Reika would fail at something, their parents would lock her out or not feed her or other things just as cruel.

Reika would never tell him the things they would do. Maybe she was afraid he would flip out and act rashly. But he already knew. He knew all too well, and the only thing keeping him from acting out was that they provided a roof, bed, and food.

It may not be a five star living space, but it beats trying to find food off the streets or trying to find a place to sleep. Lelouch remembered those days all to well. He didn't want Reika to have the same memories.

The sun rising in the sky painted the first colors of the day. Red, orange, and yellow. It went unnoticed to Lelouch.

Today seemed to fly by for him. He stayed up pretty much all night waiting for his so-called parents to return. But as morning rose, they still hadn't showed, and it only boiled Lelouch's blood even more. He was so angry that he avoided his sister that day even when she told him she was going to ask Law to play with her. He pretended not to hear her and continued to write on a pieces of papers scattered around the table. Some were crumbled up in what looked like paper snowballs. Lelouch sat in the house staring at the plan he had written on the last piece of paper. "Why am I so nervous? …We just became friends…Fuck!" Lelouch kicked the chair away that he was sitting on and went into the kitchen for a glass of water.

The ice cold feeling soothed his burning throat immediately, and he gulped it down in ten seconds flat. He punched his chest as he took the last gulp and slammed the dirty glass cup on the counter near the sink.

*clink *

Lelouch turned to looked at the cup to see what it had clinked against. It was the switchblade that his father had left.

He picked it up and flipped it up and down, getting lost in the gleam of the blade. "Just in case," he said, then closed the blade shut and pocketed it.

Law watched Reika kick a small pebble for the fifth time since they sat down on the park bench. "Did you want to say something?" She turned her head and stared at Law before licking her popsicle, and he did the same. "Lelouch has been acting strange since last night. I think something might have happened."

Law pondered on what she said before awkwardly placing his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe he realized that he wasn't the king of everything?" He tried being funny, but Reika's frown stayed, and Law took a bite of his chocolate ice cream on a stick.

"Why don't we leave and find something to cheer you up?" He stood up and shoved his hands in his pocket, waiting for her to follow him.

Law would never admit it, but she was the last person he expected to show up at his door, and he was really giddy about her asking him to come out.

Reika took the hint and hopped off the bench and onto her feet. "Where to?" She glanced at him as they where walking.

"How should I know?" He turned to look at her puzzled face and almost chuckled at her puffed cheeks. Instead he turned left and headed into a flower shop. "Uh, you girls like flowers, right?"

He almost walked out of the shop when Reika rolled her eyes at him, but then she smiled her cute smile and grabbed his hands, pointing at all the different flowers and telling him which ones were her favorites.

"This flower is my favorite." She leaned down at the tag to read them out loud to him.

"Snap dragons." Law blushed as she looked up at him. "Will you stop doing that?"

Reika stood up straight up and stared at him. "Doing what? "

He pulled his hand away from her and had tried to think of a brilliant reason for her to stop making those cute faces. Like the way her bottom lip pouted when she upset or embrassed, or how she puffed her cheeks like a puffer fish to show when she was ang- "Hold that thought."

Reika put a finger up to him and walked past him and out the door of the shop. The bell jingled indicating that someone had left, and so did his thoughts as he turned around and followed her out the shop quickly. "Where are you going?" he questioned, but she seemed to be on a mission.

He looked up to see where she was going and almost grabbed her hand to pull her back and stop her. "A bar?" Reika nodded and stopped at the entrance, where a lady stood just inside. "Mama, you didn't come home last night?" Reika confonted the lady.

Law looked up at the lady that Reika called her mom. He remembered Lelouch telling him that they were adopted. He was curious about them, but hadn't imagined a lady looking like her.

She was curvy and had a chest to boost her ego, in Law's opinion. Her hair reached past hew shoulders and was bright blond and wavy. The lady was dressed in a red wine dress that was tight in every angle, but at least the slit on the side of the dress gave her a little breathing room. She was covered around with a fur coat . Law was a little grossed out looking at this lady. What did catch his eye was the amount of jewelry she was wearing, and Law guessed Reika noticed too.

The lady glanced at Reika before taking a puff of her cigarette. "I'm working…." Reika glanced down at the rubies and diamond and pointed at them. "Where did you get those?"

The lady grumbled and this time flicked the cigarette towards the both of them. "I didn't realize we were playing the 'What Are You Wearing?' game."

Reika's mother glared at the two of them, basically telling them to fuck off, but Reika didn't seem to take the hint, and Law was just pissed off about this lady flicking cigarettes at him.

"They look expensive. Did you just get them?" Her mother pinched the bridge of her nose and waved Reika off. "I'm not answering thee. Now I'm working, and you're making me look bad."

"Did you steal them?" Reika demanded, ignoring what she just said now. Even Law was slightly surprised about how straight to the point she was. It wasn't like her. "Why weren't you home…?"

This lady glanced both ways before placing a hand on Reika's head and kneeling to her level. Both of them were staring into each others eyes trying to see who would break their gaze first.

"You're making a huge accusation there, daughter. You better watch your toungue when speaking to me." The hand placed on Reika head started to to turn into a fist as her mother gripped a clump of hair on Reika's head and started to pull upwards. Reika yelped in pain and immediately went and grabbed the arm pulling on her hair.

Law was about to lunge at the lady, she shoved Reika into the street. Reika stumbled and fell to the ground. It wasn't until Reika mumbled his name in pain that Law went to Reika's side instead of going after Reika's mother.

"Daughter" a sicking voice spoke calmly.

Reika looked up at the her mother while holding the top of her head. "I found a lovely stash of money in our house. Since we are family and I am your mother, I took it. This behavior of yours must be from your brother. I will not need you anymore. You and your brother should leave by sundown. I have enough money to last me a while. Maybe I'll even find another daughter."

Reika leaned against Law as he wrapped an arm around her. She was shocked at how easily she was tossed aside by her own adopted mother.

_No, that's right, they lived there to survive. Lelouch was right they were never our parents, but….._

_but _

_but _

Reika wanted a family. She wanted to be loved.

Her wide eyes drooped as the lady walked back inside the bar, leaving the two kids alone.

"Are you okay?" Reika shifted her gaze up to Law, pulled her to her feet as he stood up. "I should be okay," Reika said, but tears started to blur her vision. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Even though her hair hurt and she felt lost in this world, a gesture as simple as a hat being placed on her head made her stop crying for a moment. She looked back at Law, who was scratching his cheek and looking the other way. "Your noisy when you cry. You know, you're homeless, so you can just ask to stay with me."

Reika's eyes widened. She raised her hands to touch the fur hat and smiled just a little. She hurt too much to be thrilled or happy, but it was just enough to put a smile on her face.

"Come on. I'll walk to my house, then I'll get Lelouch."


	6. Chapter 6

"I feel so numb…." Reika glanced upwards at Law who seemed to be struggling to keep her up, though his face didn't show it. She stared at the hospital coming into view and clutched Law's coat tightly. "Wait, the hospital?" Law glanced at Reika before looking at the upcoming fence surrounding the hospital.

"Yeah, we moved just recently…because my father needs to focus on his job, and our…sister." Reika nodded slowly knowing this was a subject Law did not want to get into.

The silence took over, and it was almost painful, the weight of it crushing down on Reika. She sunk against Law's arms, not liking this idea of being swallowed up by a blanket of silence. He seemed to notice because he starting speaking. "You're heavy," he grunted out and pulled her up high so she wasn't dragging her feet. Reika suddenly decided to become dead wait and just hung limp in his arms while puffing her cheeks out and looking up at Law. Law held on tighter and hunched over from her weight.

Reika glanced up wards at him and cracked a grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her to her feet. "Okay, I get it. No heavy jokes."

Reika turned slightly as she properly stood on her feet and patted her dress. She turned to him before lacing her arms around him and leaning against him as they arrived at the front doors of the hospital.

To say it was busy would have been an understatement. People were running he and there. Reika felt like her head would start spinning, watching all the movement rushing by her.

"Let's go." Law started to tug her down the hall, passing many rooms. Some doors were open, though most were closed, but one thing she noticed was that there were more patients than nurses or doctors. She glanced at Law who seemed to be looking for someone. It puzzled Reika, and she even felt like she should start looking for someone too.

Her eyes scanned here and there, looking to find what Law was looking for, until out of the corner of her eye she saw a lady walking in a hurried pace towards them.

"There you are."

She quickly looked to Law for him to explain who this was. He only slouched and glanced at her. "My mom…."

Law's mother placed her hands on her hips and stared down at Law. She looked like she was going to give a lecture. Instead she pushed down his hat and gave him a good pat on the head. "You know you missed dinner."

Reika's eyes perked up at the mention of dinner, and it wasn't because of the food. She wondered at how fast time went by as they were walking and how much she sulked around and let Law drag her about. She felt horrible.

"Who is this?" Reika stood up from her slouched position as Law's mother now had her eyes on her. Good thing Law spoke for her. "This is Reika Coil. Her family disowned her. I was going to ask you if she could live with us."

He said it so plainly that even Reika had to give him a dumbstruck look. His mother sighed. "It must have been a hard day for you." She kneeled down and brushed her fingers through Reika's hair and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "You'll be okay." She gave Reika a bright smile and Reika couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, I'm guessing you two haven't eaten yet. Sweetie, start a bath for Reika and yourself and I'll cook up a late night snack while one of the nurses grabs a blanket and pillow for Reika. I'm sorry, darling, we don't have enough beds to give you one. Would it be alright if you shared with Law?"

Law was older then Reika, so he blushed slightly and looked away, while Reika nodded, oblivious to Law's embarrassment.

Shadows danced and twirled around the ceiling because of the old creaky ceiling fan, twirled around and around in that painfully slow motion. Law's eyes counted up to 13 times the fan had made a full rotation.

Tonight he couldn't sleep. Maybe it was because a little girl was in his bed snuggled up to his arm. Maybe it was because Lelouch never showed up to his house when Law went to look for him. A sniffle and a very quiet whimper echoed through the room. He glanced to his right once again at the girl who now was crying in her sleep for the third time tonight.

He was pretty sure that was the reason he couldn't sleep. All he wanted was to make the nightmares go away but he didn't know how. He even almost started to play with her hair or hug her tightly, but the fear of her waking her up kept him from doing anything. So here he was, lying still in the bed and letting Reika cling to his arm while he watched the shadows again.

" Law…."

He turned right once again to the girl who should be asleep. Instead, his eyes met with her honey-gold ones, glossed like a porcelain doll's, now bright red from all the crying.

He quickly bit his bottom lip. He wasn't good a comforting.

It didn't help that she was watching him with her half closed eyes like she about to fall asleep. He couldn't help but wonder if her eyes turned honey-colored when she cried.

All of these thoughts came through as just simple logic, questions and answers. But emotional responses were a different story. He pursed his lips in a straight line and was unable to simply say the words, "You'll be okay."

"Law?" Her saying his name almost made him snap up in a sitting position, but he turned to face her this time without saying anything.

He tried again to say something but just stayed quiet. He could have given her a full lesson on how she should eat healthier, or maybe go on about the functions of the brain which were responsible for her negative emotions.

"People would always tell me I was talented or smart for my age and I had to chance to become great, while Lelouch would fail. I was scared, but even Lelouch believed in me, saying being born this way was a opportunity, so don't waste it…." She spoke carefully and quietly like she was afraid to even tell him these things, but still continued on.

"So my…other parents would teach me the best they could, and I really did try to be the best I could be…but when I failed or wasn't good enough, they would starve me or force me to sleep outside. Most times when Lelouch wasn't around, my mom would bring men home….They would ask me to do things like dance for them or play the cheap wooden flute….It was weird, them watching me like a piece of meat. My mom would urge them to watch, but she would always tell them to wait until I was old enough before they did more…." Reika shifted closer to Law, who stiffened as her hands clung to his shirt. He spoke his next word with much difficulty, trying to keep his anger down.

"And….?"

Reika looked up at law and took a deep breath. "My mom and dad would always come home drunk. A lot of the time, I took care of my dad when he got like that: giving him water, helping him to the toliet to vomit, and giving him bread. He was upset at my mom, um….loving other men…so he would drink and would get mad easily….I don't blame him for hitting me, but I wish he would be happier."

Law wanted to strangle Reika for being to nice; he was angry at Lelouch for making her be so nice; and he was angry at himself for not seeing the signs of what she was going through. He tried to calm down, but his words came out more harshly than expected. "You shouldn't call them parents anymore."

"Oh..." she said quietly. Law gripped his hair and sat up. "I mean, they did terrible things to you, and you have to realize that. Don't make excuses for them. They never cared for you and they never will….Your brother cares and I do, too. This will be your home, so started being happy about it."

Reika eyes widen and nodded her head with a tiny smile. " O-okay."

Law turned away from her and rubbed his head while blushing. This was starting to become a habit to him.

"You look thirsty. I'll get you some water."

He couldn't look at her as he slipped out of the bed, glad that he wasn't on the side against the wall so he didn't have to try and crawl over her to get out of bed.

He counted each step to the door. Each step felt like it took forever until he was gripping the door handle tightly. "Y-you'll be o-okay now, ya…."

and shut the door quickly behind him.

Law leaned against the door and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. The anger inside him was building up like a boiling volcano. "It's not fair that she is growing up in this world…."

He pushed himself off the door and headed to the kitchen. The hallways seemed dark and eerie with candles flickering patterns of shadows just like the fan did. There were a few groans and moans from different rooms, but otherwise the walk was quiet and boring...until he heard a crash like a glass hitting the floor.

Law shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared at the door straight ahead.

His father's office.

Curious, Law walked to the door, listening to the sounds of what now sounded like paper rustling about.

Law picked up the pace, more cautions than curious now.

His father should be asleep by now, but he wasn't sure of the time.

"Shit!" a voice echoed on the other side of the door. Law now gripped the golden handle doorknob realized it wasn't his father.

Taking a deep breath Law flung the door open. "What are you doing in he-! Lelouch!?"


	7. Chapter 7

The door swung open and a word echoed through the room. "Lelouch"

Papers scattered in the air, camouflaging the the intense stares of two children, each waiting to see who would strike first.

"Hey, Law…." Lelouch spoke first, breaking the thick, chilling air surrounding the two of them. Even though his words were spoken like the relaxed clown he normally was, his face still held the intense stare. It kept Law frozen against the door, gripping the handle.

"Sooooo, I see that you moved. I went to your house and it was vacant. My next guess was here….Guess I was right." Lelouch shifted and went around the desk to stand in front of it.

The papers that were once scattered in the air now laid still on the ground. Both boys were waiting on the other to act. It felt like they were standing on thin ice. One wrong move or one wrong word and one of them was going to attack.

"Are you robbing me?" Law didn't beat around the bush like Lelouch was doing but cut straight to the heart of this intrusion.

Lelouch snickered under his breath. "Aren't you supposed to be studying to be a doctor? Shouldn't the answer be obvious?" His gaze darkened as he glared at Law.

For the first time, Law felt like he was staring into the eyes of a killer. It was a look he never thought he would see on Lelouch's face.

"Answer me!" Law pulled away from the door and took one step closer to Lelouch, who reacted by taking one closer to Law. This time, however, Lelouch glanced the other way. "Don't take it person-"

"HOW CAN I NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY?"

Law shouted over him. He shouted so loudly that it caused him to start panting, and he started to lean over slightly. Lelouch seemed a little spooked, but only for a moment, and then his mask started to harden again. Lelouch spoke in a cruel, mocking voice.

"What, are we best friends now?"

He waved his hands lazily before leaning against the desk cockily, waiting for Law to respond.

"I thought we were," Law answer quickly.

Lelouch froze, unsure of what to say next. He hadn't expected Law to say that.

"You think I'm your best friend?" He even sounded unsure him self. His tough guy act started to crack and chip away. What showed underneath was a young child broken and scared of the life he had been put through.

Law crossed his arms. His own glare started to lighten up slightly. "You're the only person I can stand at the moment."

Lelouch chuckled and glanced at Law, who seemed to glow a bit from the candle flickering behind him. "I need the money, Law…." His words started to die out, and he seemed to slowly give up on the whole plan.

"Drawer on the right has the key to the safe to the right." Law motioned with his head in the direction of the picture frame to his right. "It's behind there." Lelouch stared at him suspiciously before slowly moving to the desk with the keys. "I know you need the money for some goal of yours, but you don't need money to live here." Lelouch's eyes widened when saw how quickly Law had moved. He was suddenly standing in front of the desk.

"You're my best friend, so…if this is what your life depends on, then take it…" Law said in disgust.

Lelouch trembled a bit, lost in his thoughts. He wasn't liking the options that were being thrown at him, but the chance for the boat he had worked so hard for was so close. He couldn't pass this up. Was he being cruel and selfish for taking the money?

He seemed to forget what was around and what he cared about. Law seemed so willing to offer the money. He knew how hard he had worked to save up all that money. It didn't make sense for Law to just give it to him.

"Thank you, Law." Lelouch opened the drawer with the key in it quickly, staring into it like it could have been his soul in there. "I need this…." Law frowned slightly, hoping Lelouch would choose the other option.

He wasn't one to talk, though. He didn't grow up like Lelouch and Reika did. Even if they were still children, life had been more rough for them than for him. It was true that Law was starting to get sick like his sister. Even still, he would never stoop so low as to do what Lelouch was doing.

"Thank you, Law, thank you." Lelouch's excitement grew as he put the last few folds of money in his bag. He slipped the bag on his shoulder, almost too giddy for Law's liking. Lelouch turned to Law one last time and smirked. "When I get my boat, I'll be sure to take you with me." He waved his hand in a peace sign, leaving the same mysterious way he came.

Law stared around the room, realizing it was messy. "Worst thief ever." He started picking up the pieces of paper around the room, unaware of the events that were unfolding.

Lelouch clutched the bag tightly as he ran to the gate around the hospital entrance. _Almost there._ He felt a Cheshire cat grin creep on his face.

That was, until…"STOP!" Lelouch froze as one of the guards in front of the gate approached him.

_He wasn't there before. Where did he come from? _Lelouch was unsure where to run or go. This was his way in and his way out. He didn't think up any other plan.

The guard looked Lelouch up and down suspiciously. "The courtyard is closed at this time of night. Shouldn't students be asleep?" Lelouch sighed inwardly. He could work with this.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep. Thought a walk could help make me tired." Lelouch spoke in his laid-back cocky way, hoping the guard would buy the act. All he did, though, was raise an eye brow. "You mean run?"

Lelouch blinked, confused by what he was saying. "You mean a run…I saw you running. Speaking of which, you're not dressed in uniform. And I've never seen you before." The man holding the rifle started to tighten his grip just as Lelouch tightened his grip on his bag.

Seems the man had seen through Lelouch's act.

"What's in the bag, boy?"

Lelouch crouched like he was about to run. He even attempted to run, but something cold and metallic was pressed against his forehead. He stared cross-eyed at the object all the way to the end where the guard was holding it.

Lelouch put two and two together and realized the guard had placed a rifle against his head. A clicking sound rang through Lelouch's eyes, and he knew the hammer of the rifle was now cocked. He backed up, shocked and shaking with fear.

His world started to fade black. He lost all track of time and space. The blackness started to consume him. As the reality of what was happening sunk in, he began to crack piece by piece. All his hope and dreams shattered like a dropped mirror.

The echo of the man's voice rang in Lelouch's ears loud and clear, taunting the dreams even as they shattered.

Whats in the bag

Things happened in a blur to Lelouch. Four more men started to approach him, telling him he was under arrest for thieving. The guard to his left reached out and even grabbed Lelouch's left arm, roughly yanking him.

That tug, that pull, snapped Lelouch like a wild animal, waking him from the darkness. Consumed by fear, he grabbed his knife lighting fast from his pocket and swiped at the man holding his arm.

He had cut the guard deep enough to cause a spray of blood. It covered Lelouch's face and shoulders, splattering everywhere the moment Lelouch made contact. Lelouch was scared and lost in the moment, and he didn't wait to see what would happen next. The man was screaming. Law pushed the man off of him and made a run for it.

It wasn't his lucky night. He only made a few steps before the men tackled him to the ground, shoving his face into the white dirt, making him yelp and cough up a mixture of blood and mud.

As they cuffed him, Lelouch stared back at the hospital, glaring in hatred as he was being dragged away.

He believed that Law had ratted him out, and Lelouch wanted revenge.


	8. Chapter 8

Lelouch would never forget the image of standing cuffed in front of the judge, begging to be set free. It was burned into his mind like a permanent scar, constantly reminding of who did this to him. It was sick and twisted how fate worked sometimes. The trial went faster than he expected. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life working in the mines. He knew he should have been glad that he wasn't going to be hanged, but just two nights ago he had planned to sign up to work in the mines. Now he would spend the rest of his life working there unpaid. The thought made him sick to his stomach. It was just one cruel thing after another, and it made time feel like it was rushing by too fast.

Lelouch stared down at his hands. They were cut and bruised from him constantly trying to pull them apart in hopes they would break. He frowned at the sight of them. He didn't even want to know what the rest of his body looked like, especially since he hadn't bathed since the incident. Normally he wouldn't even think about bathing, since he didn't normally bathe, but the stench of dried blood made him queasy and made his throat dry up. He unconsciously tried to pull the cuffs apart, stretching them as far as they would allow. It turned his wrists red, but he struggled with the chain as best as he could.

"Dammit!" He slammed himself against the wall of the prison carriage. He was angry and scared. Who wouldn't be scared when everything they worked for was ripped away, even their freedom?

Lelouch could swear he was going crazy with all of these thoughts, and he began to wonder how his sister was doing and if she missed him.

Of course she missed him. Reika wouldn't know what to do with out him. She was the little mouse.

The thoughts caused him to chuckle under his breath like a madman until tears started to run down his dirt- and blood-stained cheeks.

He came to the terms with the idea that he was alone.

The dry feeling in his throat caused it to swell up, and he broke into a coughing fit. He cried quietly, too broken to even make noise...or to notice that the carriage stopped.

"We're here."

* * *

><p><strong>Classes were dragging for Law. <strong>_**If I hear that damn clock tick-tock one more time...**_** Well, Law wasn't sure what he would do. Law had trouble focusing on what his teacher was saying on the best of days, since he acted like a know-it-all, but for some reason everything was moving painfully slow today. **

**While Law leaned against his hand, staring at the window, he couldn't help but wonder what ever happened to Lelouch. He had bolted out with the money so fast that Law wondered if he got his boat and left already. **

**Would he really do that to his sister and him?**

**Just leave with out a word?**

**It would be cruel thing to do.**

**And didn't Lelouch say he would come back...?**

**Where was he? **

**Tick Tock….**

**Law slowly glanced at the clock and his left eye started to twitch.**

* * *

><p>There was a scary grinding noise from the wheels of the cart as it lowered deeper into the mines, painfully shaking him against the metal seats.<p>

Its creaking sound as it sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness made him cringe.

He swore it was getting colder the deeper he went. So to get his mind off of these thoughts, Lelouch turned his gaze downward to stare at the pickaxe In his hands. It was heavy and looked worn down. He couldn't help but let the weight of the pickaxe sink in. Just moments ago he was shoved into a cart, and it began dropping deep into the mines. He could already feel the soot in his throat. He whipped around to look back at the last small, dim glow of the outside world he would ever see.

Lelouch turned and faced the other men and the guard watching them. " Please…I don't want to be here."

It was dark besides the dim glow of the lanterns passing by quickly. as the cart sunk deeper,

deeper and deeper

into the mines.

* * *

><p><strong>It was bright on this day. Law's classes ended more quickly than he would have thought, given how slow it had felt like the day was going. He walked along the courtyard with its gravel paths and the trees surrounding it. Some of his other classmates were heading to the lunch hall, but Law seemed lost in thought and did not seem to be in a rush to go eat anytime soon. <strong>

**Maybe this was the reason he noticed that the guards and janitor were cleaning something up in the middle of the path. **

**Law walked over lazily. He was a little too curious as to what they were doing standing in the middle of the courtyard. **

**When he got closer he noticed red in the bucket of water that the janitor was using to clean up the more red liquid on the gravel path.**

**He started to cough and look away. **

**It could be a mistake.**

**That couldn't be Lelouch's.**

**He was gone, wasn't he?**

* * *

><p>"Hack…." Lelouch bent over coughing, the dust flying around the the cavern as the men worked. He watched how they swung their pickaxes with ease, piercing into the walls, making deep cracks. He himself clumsily swung the pickaxe at the wall, hardly making a dent. All he did was churn up more dust. He covered his mouth fast as it flew around the room. It stung his eyes and forced him to break into another coughing fit.<p>

"You'll get use to it," someone spoke to Lelouch.

Lelouch thought he didn't want to get use to it.

* * *

><p><strong>After seeing the dried blood, Law quickly went up to his father's office. Without knocking, he yanked open the door and walked in.<strong>

**It seemed someone else beat him to it, though. Because of Law's rude intrusion, his father and the other man in the room stopped their conversation to look at him. **

**"Father, what's going on?" The tall man, who was lazily spinning a pen in his hand, rubbed his goatee. "Maybe you know something." His father sat up and looked at Law closely like he was studying him. **

**"A guard called me in the middle of the night stating that some boy stole money from the hospital….Luckily, they had him arrested. Do you know anything about this?" **

**Law stood like he was was just struck by lighting.**

* * *

><p>Lelouch leaned against the rock, coughing once again. He was hardly working compared to the older men, but he was so young, and he knew he needed a break from this stressful breakdown he was having.<p>

A break was good right now.

It was so dusty and dark. He could hardly see anything let alone hear from all the machines and other men that were nearby working. He realized that he would be hearing that sound for the rest of his life.

CRACK

Lelouch looked up towards the ceiling from the rock he was laying against.

Hardly visible in the darkness, he noticed the support beam above him that was holding the ceiling up.

* * *

><p><strong>Law stayed quiet as his father explained that he told his guards to arrest the boy and was later notified that the boy was being sent down to the mines for his crime.<strong>

**He nodded his head to show he was listening, but his thoughts were jumbled into a hectic mess. **

**It was his fault that this all happened, and now Lelouch was being punished. **

**Law knew he had to speak up and tell his father that he allowed Lelouch to take the money. Just as he began to talk, the snail cell rang, cutting him off mid-sentence. What it said caused Law to storm out of the room to find Reika as quickly as he could.**

* * *

><p>"There has been an accident at the mines, We have injured and are sending them to you."<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

"There has been accident…."

It's amazing how such a simple sentence can be so harmful...

And hated….

"Ahhhh!" An ear pricing scream echoed through the halls of the Victorian mansion. The culprit of the scream was a twenty year old Reika Coil who was tossing back and forth on her bed, tangling herself in the cotton bed sheets.

One of the maids that heard her quickly entered her room and pinned Reika down the best she could. "Please, my lady, wake up," the poor maid begged as she gripped Reika's arms. Reika's screaming became louder as she started to kick and slide against the bed the sheets, tangling them further around her legs. The poor maid wasn't sure what to do and just held on until her screaming stopped.

It felt like an eternity, but Reika breaths finally became calm and easy, and her body stopped going on a kicking spree. Everything seemed to stand still as she slowly opened her eyes. She was slightly blinded by the brightness of the late morning sun. She turned her head to look at the hands of the maid who was holding her down, then traced her arms back until she was looking into her maid's eyes.

The maid took a big sigh of relief. Reika seemed deeply lost in the blue pools of the eyes of the maid. She was just as out of breath as Reika was. "Are you alright now, Lady Reika?" She barely nodded and watched the maid as she let go of her and climbed off her.

The maid patted down her simple black dress with a white apron, trying to look presentable.

Still in a daze and half wake, Reika was confused as to what had just happened. She sat up slowly and took the time to look around the plain white room. It was always too big for her liking. Even her King-sized bed made her feel tiny and small. Everything was too big in this place, and It made Reika want to go back to the shac-

No, she shouldn't have those thoughts anymore.

The maid hooked onto Reika, who allowed the maid to drag her out of bed to get her ready for her day. She was too lazy and sleepy to fight her this morning. She wasn't used to waking up so late in the day.

The maid placed Reika in a chair in front of a desk with a huge mirror. Staring at the mirror gave her chills. For just a second, she saw the image of the little girl with the pigtails and the slightly dirty face. Reika rubbed her eyes quickly and looked into the mirror again. This time, she was face to face with her older self.

Reika shuddered at the images she wished she could forget.

Memories still etched into her mind like an itch that wouldn't go away. Staring into the mirror had brought thoughts of her childhood back up to the surface again, and she wished so much that she could unsee them.

But she could not that. Those dreams were her past, and you can't run from your past. That little girl with the pigtails had grown into a woman with long auburn hair that rippled in waves, cascading past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were still bright with many colors, but the gleam of her childhood was no longer there. She loathed the image in the mirror. She was shocked back to reality when her maid spoke up.

"Another nightmare?" the maid carefully mentioned. She knew this was dangerous subject to bring up. Reika was not born a duchess; she was adopted when she was a little girl. She still remembers that day the lady of the house brought home a wet, dirt-covered little girl and boy….

That boy...

What they went through, no child should have had to endure. And having no homes left since the mascare...

It was little wonder that Reika suffered from night terrors her whole life. Now adays, though. Reika seemed to only have night terrors every so often but never spoke of them.

She seemed just to want to forget them all together.

"Just one of the dreams of my home town," she spoke softly, still lost in a thought.

The maid was shocked. Reika never spoke about her dreams, let alone her hometown. Deciding not to push it further, the maid changed the subject.

"You have such long, wavy hair. A duchess doesn't wear her hair down." The maid started to braid and twist Reika's hair into a bun. The girl moaned in displeasure at her hair and blew at the few strands of hair falling to the sides of her face. "Lily, do you have to yank so hard?" Reika said to the maid.

She went to cross her arms in a pout, but Lily smacked her hand (quite hard, too, in Reika's opinion). "Duchesses don't have fits."

Reika looked at Lily through the mirror and glared, but it did little to faze Lily as she continued her task of getting Reika ready.

"There. Your hair is done, my lady." Reika stared at the mirror at the girl with the twisted braid. She had a small, light blue top hat placed on the side of her head. It had white lace hanging off the side of the hat, covering one of her eyes.

"This looks bothersome…" Lily seemed to ignore Reika's comment on the hair piece and had already started working on putting her outfit together. While watching Lily, Reika glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye so horrid, so incredibly grotesque, that she jumped out of her seat. She cringed behind her chair and pointed a shaky finger at the corset Lily was holding. The maid sighed and shook her head at Reika's childish response to corsets. "You're wearing it," was all the maid said.

* * *

><p>Reika sighed in awe at the garden. There was a garden room with a table placed in middle of the walkway at which three guests were seated. The mansion seemed to amaze her each time she walked its halls or stepped outside.<p>

Quickly shaking her thoughts back to the present, she hurried to the table and placed a hand on the an empty metal chair, her fingers brushing the intricate design engraved into its backing. "Good morning, Miss Kilworth and children of Kilworth." Reika smilied, but Miss Kilworth raised her hand to stop Reika from sitting down.

"Reika, my child, you can call me mother by now. No formal greetings. And let me see this beautiful dress Lily has placed you in." Reika stood straight up and stared at Miss Kilworth.

She was a very old lady and liked to wear a bunch of jewelry and silly hats that were way too big for her head. Reika could remember how she looked on the day that she found her as child in the pouring rain at the docks, holding onto her brother for dear life.

"My, that blue dress with the white lace around your sleeves and bosom are so elegant. Oh, and the white corset with the three buckles looks just darling." Reika twitched at the word "corset" but then glared when she heard a snicker from Miss Kilworth's son.

"Thank you," Reika said kindly, though she still did not sit down. Miss Kilworth noticed and gestured for her to take a seat. Reika smiled and shook her head, and Miss Kilworth smiled weakly.

"Are you going to see your brother today?"


End file.
